Abstract
The efficient usage of renewable resources, especially waste management, poses a significant challenge tocontemporary economic and social development. One use is the incorporation of lignin into asphalt mixtures forpavement building. Although numerous investigations have assessed the incorporation of lignin in differentforms into asphalt mixtures, synthesizing a complete and quantitative understanding is hindered by the heterogeneityacross studies in lignin type, mixing protocols, dosage selection, and performance evaluation methodologies.To address these inconsistencies, this systematic review aims to evaluate the meta-analysis of lignin asa renewable asphalt modifier for asphalt performance improvement. Five research databases were searched usinga meta-analysis methodology: Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar. In order toassess the sustainability impact of lignin on asphalt, meta-analyses of 54 pertinent variables were conducted on39 published articles. Based on the random forest model analysis, lignin emerged as an influential factor affmecting the mechanical properties, stability, durability, thermal characteristics, and chemical performance of asphalt mixtures and binders. The analysis further indicated that lignin could reduce the fatigue damage rate, permeability, and ductility of the asphalt. Subgroup analyses identified outcome-specific moderator effects, particularly for mixing-related conditions, whereas meta-regression showed that lignin type, mixing method, dosage, and study location contributed significantly to between-study heterogeneity. These results highlight lignin's potential as a viable renewable modifier for performance enhancement and sustainability goals, while also indicating that performance gains depend on source-specific chemistry and processing conditions. Future studies should prioritize standardized protocols and field-scale validation.
NETL
NSTL
Elsevier